Location: State (Tennessee, New York, and West Virginia)
Focus: Liability Protection and Tax Incentives
The Issue
States often cite concerns around legal liability and costs as barriers to food donation.
FLPC Contribution
FLPC supported state agencies, state legislators, and advocates in these states with research on policy opportunities and best practices from other states, as well as model legislative language, to help these states enact policies that provide enhanced liability protection for donated food or state-level tax incentives for food donation.
Key Impact
Advocacy Capacity: Crafted model legislative language along with customized state fact sheets, significantly enhancing the capacity of state advocates and legislators to advance food donation policy.
Policy Insight: Offered expert insights to strengthen legislative proposals and disseminated best practices from states with strong food donation policies.
Policy Change: Tennessee passed legislation expanding liability protections for food donations and New York and West Virginia enacted state tax incentives for farmers who donate fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products.
Why It Matters
State leaders can advance efforts to reduce food waste and tackle food insecurity in their communities by building on the learnings and successes of other states that have tested effective policies to encourage the donation of safe, surplus food.
